Before Stonewall is a documentary about the gay community prior to the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969. Through historical events and interviews from people from each decade, the secrecy, prejudice, and even comradery within the gay community was addressed throughout the film.
The documentary begins with talk of speakeasies during prohibition in the 1920s. People would sometimes have speakeasies in their basements, which often served as a gathering place for secret homosexuals to socialize and meet people of their sexual orientation. Harlem served as a gathering place for black gay people, who found their own personal “mecca” within the clubs.
“Black” clubs often consisted primarily of African Americans and gay people of every race. …show more content…
Her research proved that, regardless of sexual orientation, it was possible for men to be well-rounded and successful. This was the first psychiatric research to focus on well-adjusted gay males and proved that numerically, there was no difference in gay men and straight men.
The Daughters of Bilitis was created as a support group for lesbians, which was the first time many women had been in a group of lesbian women like themselves. Gay people appreciated these organizations solely on the premise that they knew they were not alone.
With the growing acceptance of homosexuality coming out of the late fifties, people felt more willing to pursue their true selves. Teddie Boutte speaks of how himself and a group of other, young, gay individuals named themselves the “Lee Girls.” This group realized that they needed to protect themselves, and the group was to make sure they weren’t pushed around. The word “queer” was used and often times use violence. Butch lesbians were often prone to violence and so they learned to fight back. Often, for butch lesbians, they were forced to look as masculine as possible in order to take femme lesbians on dates. In the mean-time, men
The documentary begins with talk of speakeasies during prohibition in the 1920s. People would sometimes have speakeasies in their basements, which often served as a gathering place for secret homosexuals to socialize and meet people of their sexual orientation. Harlem served as a gathering place for black gay people, who found their own personal “mecca” within the clubs.
“Black” clubs often consisted primarily of African Americans and gay people of every race. …show more content…
Her research proved that, regardless of sexual orientation, it was possible for men to be well-rounded and successful. This was the first psychiatric research to focus on well-adjusted gay males and proved that numerically, there was no difference in gay men and straight men.
The Daughters of Bilitis was created as a support group for lesbians, which was the first time many women had been in a group of lesbian women like themselves. Gay people appreciated these organizations solely on the premise that they knew they were not alone.
With the growing acceptance of homosexuality coming out of the late fifties, people felt more willing to pursue their true selves. Teddie Boutte speaks of how himself and a group of other, young, gay individuals named themselves the “Lee Girls.” This group realized that they needed to protect themselves, and the group was to make sure they weren’t pushed around. The word “queer” was used and often times use violence. Butch lesbians were often prone to violence and so they learned to fight back. Often, for butch lesbians, they were forced to look as masculine as possible in order to take femme lesbians on dates. In the mean-time, men